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BAD endings destroyed the game and the whole series. GREAT GRAPHIC, MUSIC AND GAMEPLAY. 95% of the game is interesting. it was so great that you felt even worse when you got through the ending.…Expand

Great Game, all the way up to the last 15 minutes and then it turned into a disaster...Worst ending to any video game i have ever played in 15 years of console and PC gaming going all the way back to the atari.

I have never seen an ending that gave absolutely no closure to anything, you don't know what happens to the normandy crew, magically somehow crew members crash landed on someGreat Game, all the way up to the last 15 minutes and then it turned into a disaster...Worst ending to any video game i have ever played in 15 years of console and PC gaming going all the way back to the atari.

I have never seen an ending that gave absolutely no closure to anything, you don't know what happens to the normandy crew, magically somehow crew members crash landed on some unknown planet when they were just with you on earth, shepard somehow just accepts death and destroying all artificial life in the galaxy and shepard either dies or you see some body that may not even be his take a gasp of air before the end. no happy ending, not even close to a perfect ending and the worst ending ever.…Expand

Worst game ever IMHO. At first, what I dislike - Bioware said that gameplay id about 40 hours. Where is this 40? I playing very slowly and finish this game after 20 hours. Ok, its not the general problem. Everybody whos saw 3 ending is shoked, as me. First 15-20 hours is amazing, but ending.... I cant give more than 1 point out of 10. A lot of fans whaiting epic ending of this game. AfterWorst game ever IMHO. At first, what I dislike - Bioware said that gameplay id about 40 hours. Where is this 40? I playing very slowly and finish this game after 20 hours. Ok, its not the general problem. Everybody whos saw 3 ending is shoked, as me. First 15-20 hours is amazing, but ending.... I cant give more than 1 point out of 10. A lot of fans whaiting epic ending of this game. After final movie I have a lot of questions, but whos give me answers for them? DLC? Ok, I dont say that developers must give us content for free, but general story must be comlited without any DLC. Now about positive side of the game. Weapons upgrade and shooting me pleased. Thats all.…Expand

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SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS !!! Turn Back now if you are allergic to SPOILERS

I was a devoted fan to Mass effect 3 I learned the lore and loved the story. bought the books, comics, and some other random gear from the bio-ware store. There were a few flaws during the game however i was able to get past those until the end. You get three Nifty choices of ending the game in either a Green Red or Blue explosion. All those years of following the series. over 400+ hours of playing the 1st and 2nd game The life and death choices, the wonder of what those choices would bring was all undone in the end. You learn nothing of what happens because of your choices due to three identical endings (Some differences) and pretty colors. I personally feel betrayed and crushed that everything bio-ware promised us was a lie. Just like the cake. I gave this a 1 simply because they actually released something. They will never get my money again for as long as I live.…Expand

Mass Effect is in my opinion one of the best games ever. The first game I finished at least 4 times but the second I finished more than 8 times. Mass Effect 3 gives me no desire to re-play it again unless Bioware change the ending that I think is a complete sh@t. I hate it and hate Bioware to destroy what for me was the best game ever.I will not buy any Bioware game anymore.

ME3 it's a game that could have been a very good game, it has good ideas and a beautiful universe, but fall short in several important things positive:-story -some scene-atmosphere and immersion
negative:
-low res graphics on pc
-animations (look at shep run!)
-short (as an rpg, 30 hours aren't a lot)
- some dialogue
- need tp re-romance old romances
-1 button to do every things? i haveME3 it's a game that could have been a very good game, it has good ideas and a beautiful universe, but fall short in several important things positive:-story -some scene-atmosphere and immersionnegative:-low res graphics on pc-animations (look at shep run!)-short (as an rpg, 30 hours aren't a lot)- some dialogue- need tp re-romance old romances-1 button to do every things? i have a freaking keyboard!-the log! fix the quest log!very bad:-half of secondary quest are just go-fetch task-ENDINGS! (that alone has pulled down my vote for at least 4 points!)-plot-holes-BW/EA DLC policy it could have been the star wars of this generation, but sadly, right now has too many problem to even reach mediocrity…Expand

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Amazing game that builds up to what I thought would be an ending where all the big choices I made through the game(s) would come together and decide the outcome of the story. But that's not what happens. In the last 5-10 minutes Bioware manages to not just ruin Mass Effect 3, but the two previous games as well(quite impressive really). Everything you've done through the game is made worthless as this starkid(!) comes out of nowhere and gives me three choices that all have the same outcome, and I have no choice but to accept what he tells me. This feels like a really lazy and cheap ending. It's a 1/10 by me. The first 99% of the trilogy is AMAZING, but when the ending completely destroys everything else that was before it the ending doesn't matter.…Expand

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Wow - what can I say about Mass Effect 3? Well simply as the late stand up comedian George Carlin said ' you have to marvel at that level of Bull ****This review will take this from a business point of view. I did my MBA in turning around failing software companies back in 2002.In 5 minutes Bioware / EA completely destroyed the intellectual property of Mass Effect.....you have to marvel at a feat like that!All those 8 years building it up, millions of dollars research, creating, developing and marketing that game.For those that don't know, marketing games cost even more than the development itself.....and that's when you're not buying off the critics. Yep; if I was a shareholder I would be really pissed right about now.As an investor I would be wondering how to short their share price.This game fails on so many levels. All I can say is "Decide what your product is and completely rule out what your product is not". If Mass Effect 3 is a Role Playing Game, then it must by nature involve choice right up till the end.This game does not.I have heard people speck of the 'indoctrination theory'; frankly, that doesn't matter. Whether or not you are fighting indoctrination or not is irrelevant. The question is, does the game give you choice when it counts? The answer is no.Therefore customers, who purchase this game under the illusion that there is choice WHEN IT COUNTS! The customer does not get that choice.Choosing what tropical fish to buy is not a real choice; itâ…Expand

As someone who spent over 300 hours playing the first two games in the series, I don't understand how anyone who has played the previous games could possibly have enjoyed an ending full of plot holes, be satisfied with one of "six" possible endings, or the fact that one of the endings seems to be the right one. The limited conversation options and almost complete lack of side missionsAs someone who spent over 300 hours playing the first two games in the series, I don't understand how anyone who has played the previous games could possibly have enjoyed an ending full of plot holes, be satisfied with one of "six" possible endings, or the fact that one of the endings seems to be the right one. The limited conversation options and almost complete lack of side missions makes the game feel rushed, to climax with no conclusion.…Expand

Wont even mention the ending since all know it was crappy. But other problems are present too, way too many holes in the plot. Day1 dlc ripoff. And worst of all, forcing to use EAÂ´s totally crappy Origin service. Come on, we got steam already, rly not fun to use another, way crappier service just cos EA is too creedy to pass the opportunitu to make more money.

I must admit I eagerly awaited Mass Effect 3. I was eager to see how all my decision from the previous game carried across. Needless to say I left Mass Effect 3 with some very mixed feelings. However one thing I can say is that 95% of the game is amazing. The story is tight, the characters feel alive, the environment has come to life and the weapons feel unique and powerful. That is to say however until the last 15 minutes of the game.

At the ending the player is treated to what happens to be a complete mistake. The ending breaks all the rules of narrative coherence, contradicts several plot points, introduces alien concepts and characters and creates several plot holes. Regardless of how you played your Shepard, all are treated to the same lackluster, half-baked, ending. Were this any other company it would be understandable. This being Bioware; an entity that has prided on its writing skills, this is shocking. Its as if someone decided to add random, metaphysical concepts in order to generate pointless speculation. This is NOT how one ends a story. Perhaps the best simile for Mass Effect 3 is that of a five star, three course meal. The appetizers whetted your palate, the main courses were splendid and then it was time for dessert. Unfortunately it would seem that someone dropped the dessert, scraped it back up and then threw some crap on top of it. Sure you'll remember the other four amazing courses, but its the crappy dessert that will stay with you. I would consign this game to the rental or discount bin.…Expand

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[Note: I originally (and accidentally) posted this under the PS3 version when in fact my review pertains to the PC one. Re-posting here.] The first user review I read was a 10 out of 10 and began, "Do not listen to the people rating this game badly. Mass Effect 3 is utterly amazing..." First of all, I agree that ME3 is utterly amazing. And that's what makes its end all the more disappointing. Consider yourself lucky if the endings of ME3 didn't disappoint you--you've been spared a sense of loss and disappointment that dwarfs any feelings of annoyance you must "suffer" when reading fans' complaints. I loved the first game, actually think ME2 was better (though I initially hated what they did in the opening sequence), but found myself thinking I enjoyed playing ME3 more than either of the first two. It really is a fantastic game that I should be able to love and agree deserves a 9 out of 10 score (endings aside, it still had some flaws). BUT... This game was the end of a trilogy. As such, the ending had to not just provide some level of satisfaction for the particular story that began with Shepard escaping Earth, but also the one that began with Shepard being sent to Eden Prime way back when. In other words, there was a lot riding on the ending of this game. There are several very good articles out there articulating why fans are disappointed with the way ME3 ended and I'm not going to rehash them here. Suffice it to say, the options provided to the player at the end of the game as well as the outcomes and consequences of those options left many long-time fans feeling like their investment in Mass Effect ultimately wasn't respected by the developers in the end. More than not just getting a "happy ending", we're left with what can only be described as a bleak, depressing one, in which no matter what option you choose, no one lives happily ever after. Sure, you saved earth from the Reapers as expected, but at what cost? The universe we're left with is a dismal one (two words: Mass Relays). If you read through all the Harry Potter books and got to final few pages of the series and read that Harry destroys Voldemort, but it costs him his life, and all his friends would be forever trapped in the world of Muggles, cut off from ever using magic again, would you feel entitled to be a little disappointed? No? Great for you. But don't go telling everyone not to listen to those who would. Mass Effect 3 was a 9 out of 10 game until the final few minutes. The turn it takes in those few closing seconds, ruined not only the game, but an entire trilogy because when the credits roll and you ask yourself, "Was the cost of saving the universe from the Reapers worth it?" the haunting answer for many of us was, "I don't know. I really don't know."…Expand

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I am so sad I had to do this, I never thought I would have to. Mass Effect WAS an epic series. However I cannot condone what they have done with this game. If you don't buy this game new you will have to pay more to access the tacked on multiplayer. Yea, you heard me. There was Disk Locked Content that you had to pay $10 to unlock, which most people were going to given that the character was a Prothean. They promised you would not need to do multiplayer to get all the endings, however the best ending (a five second scene of Shepard taking a breath) is not possible to obtain without doing the multiplayer currently. Excluding 2 or 3 the side quests are atrocious. The gameplay is improved and the characters are great, Garrus being the stand out, but all this is forgotten as you try to figure out what happened in the last 10 minutes and realized it wasn't written by the same people who did the rest of the game. It's a disaster I won't even bother to go into detail as I'm sure every other review hits on it. This is the single worst ending in the history of gaming. It's like Bioware doesn't want anyone to buy from them again. Giving me a terrible ending and adding the text "Buy more dlc" isn't going to make me happy.…Expand

I'll keep it simple. ME was perfect, ME2 was not as good but held itself quite well. What is this 3? How do you take a brutal amount of good things and trash most of them is beyond my understanding. The ending, bioware.... did you really thought about paid DLC for the ending before the "rage"? That stupid kid is a joke. But not only, ME3 is full of lame characters and dialogs, it feels asI'll keep it simple. ME was perfect, ME2 was not as good but held itself quite well. What is this 3? How do you take a brutal amount of good things and trash most of them is beyond my understanding. The ending, bioware.... did you really thought about paid DLC for the ending before the "rage"? That stupid kid is a joke. But not only, ME3 is full of lame characters and dialogs, it feels as a new crap series, not ME.…Expand

While I enjoyed the game play on its own, it most definitely was not the Mass Effect I remember. This game is to Mass Effect what a personal plane is to a personal jet, good on its own, but not what you wanted.

I strongly disagree with the negative reviews. Originally ending was a bit confusing, although it didn't strike me as a bad one. And now, after the expansion ("extended cut") it has become perfect, no less. Note that Bioware didn't change the ending, they've just expanded it by adding more explanations in longer cutscenes. This is easily the best game in the series.

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I over-enjoyed the game. My mistake is that I gave this game an early 10... That is until the moment the harbinger laser hit the party. Honestly i am holding myself a lot not to go berserk and start swearing. So i will keep it...civilized. It not about Shepard's bad fate. I kinda liked it that he died to save the galaxy at any case. What i don't like at all is the whole "Lost" concept. The last 15 minutes of the game IS NOT mass effect. It is a combination of poetry, lucid dreaming, huge (black hole size) plot holes and the message you get after the credits " Congratulations, Shepard destroyed the Reapers and saved the galaxy. You may now continue to play DLC and **** and then you can play just before the attack on Cerberus Base. This proves that there is no "indoctrination" concept and that the end is as it is. I am extremely frustrated with Bioware. You destroyed the trilogy by creating 15 minutes of a total confusion. Maybe the reapers indoctrinated the Bioware staff so they couldn't finish the game. Not to comment the day one DLC: From Ashes. Aye...From Asses that is... Since its coming from EA its definitely " FROM ASSES". Fix it now. Not asking, not petitioning, but...DEMANDING.…Expand

I originally gave this game a 6, but I'm reducing that to a 1 because of all the BS public relations rhetoric BiowarEA is putting out there to defend that travesty of an ending instead of acknowledging it was flawed. Falling back on the old "artistic vision" crap just isn't going to quell the outrage of an, arguably, good percentage of the people who have finished playing the game.I originally gave this game a 6, but I'm reducing that to a 1 because of all the BS public relations rhetoric BiowarEA is putting out there to defend that travesty of an ending instead of acknowledging it was flawed. Falling back on the old "artistic vision" crap just isn't going to quell the outrage of an, arguably, good percentage of the people who have finished playing the game. "Artistic vision", my a$$. People had those kind of visions back in the 60's when they: "Turned on, tuned in, and dropped out". That coupled with the "we'll have more information for you in April" crap which is a painfully obvious stall tactic to not tank sales even more -- it couldn't be more transparent and it's insulting to the player's intelligence. It's dismissive in tone and nature. Way to go -- alienate even more of your core fan base.…Expand

A great journey....until you hit the ending. I thought the game was great in almost every way. There was just two issues I found with game. 1. The Journal. Its a mess....it literally is just a big list that never updates itself so you can find yourself questioning where you got to on the side missions.

2. The major issue with the game was the ending. The story was well constructed and IA great journey....until you hit the ending. I thought the game was great in almost every way. There was just two issues I found with game. 1. The Journal. Its a mess....it literally is just a big list that never updates itself so you can find yourself questioning where you got to on the side missions.

2. The major issue with the game was the ending. The story was well constructed and I was impressed with all the chapters up to but not including the ending. The space casper/deus ex mechanic was an odd choice and while it wasnt the 16 endings Bioware promised I would of accepted it had it not been for the gaping plot holes that riddled the ending, which in turn just made the ending look and feel sloppy. For someone who is really impressed with the universe/franchise they created it really killed my desire to play it again which is in stark contrast to the amount of times I replayed ME1 and ME 2.

I wish Bioware all the best for the future but Dragon Age 2 and Mass Effect 3 has taught me to be more cautious about accepting what Bioware promises in the future.…Expand

Mass effect 1 - had many issues, but showed promise in a franchise.Mass effect 2 - A step forward in combat mechanics and streamlined gameplay, a step backwards in freedom with a linear exploration feelMass Effect 3 - A quick money making title, ignoring the basics of animation and gameplay mechanics. PC ignorance is bliss here.
I dont know what game the review companies are playing,Mass effect 1 - had many issues, but showed promise in a franchise.Mass effect 2 - A step forward in combat mechanics and streamlined gameplay, a step backwards in freedom with a linear exploration feelMass Effect 3 - A quick money making title, ignoring the basics of animation and gameplay mechanics. PC ignorance is bliss here.

I dont know what game the review companies are playing, but its not the one purchased. A huge disappointing to a franchise that has gone from RPG to a FPS with poor movie style cutsceens. The SPACEBAR is used for running, rolling around, selecting world objects. It fails most of the time and you find yourself rolling around when you try to run. You find yourself standing still when your trying to run because a world object came across your hud. The animations are dreadful, for a game that trys to sell itself as a movie, it feels like they forgot about animating your player, the one you stare at. At the start of the game, you are given an option to either play the game as Action/RPG/Social. Action is the default setting, RPG claims to be "the mass effect experience" but none of the options actually provide you with information on what you gain or lose from each. The end product feels rushed, forced on console gamers and a huge disappointing to a player who loved ME1/2. It seems bioware has lost interest in making "SOLID" games, its a company that just wants to roll in on past victories, and forgets why people loved their 1st games.…Expand

Mass Effect 3 is one of the best, if not the best, game play experiences in the history of gaming. There isn't a single game that comes close to the quality of storytelling and presentation out there. The problem is that the last 15 minutes of the game throws out the window over 100 hours of game play leading to that point. The ending is a mess. It is horrible, it makes no sense, it isMass Effect 3 is one of the best, if not the best, game play experiences in the history of gaming. There isn't a single game that comes close to the quality of storytelling and presentation out there. The problem is that the last 15 minutes of the game throws out the window over 100 hours of game play leading to that point. The ending is a mess. It is horrible, it makes no sense, it is full of plot holes, it introduces what is effectively and deus ex machina, it resolves nothing of your choices and it provides you with no closure. It is a hideous ending to one of the best sci-fi epics of all time.

The game itself is amazing, emotional, touching, scary, funny, sometimes all at once. The ending is a bitter, bitter disappointment. Is it worth playing through once? Yes. Is it the ending Mass Effect deserved? Definitely not.…Expand

ME1 set the grand standard for the whole series. The best of the trilogy and I started playing ME2 first.

ME2 had some problems but was still a great game. Tied in well with 1.
To show that I am not trolling Bioware by writing this, I want to highly endorse playing ME1 and 2, they are why this series has such a passionate fanbase and are achievements in gaming in themselves.
BUT BELIEVEME1 set the grand standard for the whole series. The best of the trilogy and I started playing ME2 first.

ME2 had some problems but was still a great game. Tied in well with 1.

To show that I am not trolling Bioware by writing this, I want to highly endorse playing ME1 and 2, they are why this series has such a passionate fanbase and are achievements in gaming in themselves.

BUT BELIEVE THE OTHER GAMERS WHEN THEY SAY THAT ME3 IS BAD, IT IS FULL OF PROBLEMS.To break it down here why you should not support the direction Bioware took with ME3.

1. Three bad endings. Let's get one thing straight, fans love this game for its story, characters and world. Its combat was good but not its true selling point. So for Bioware to give us endings which provide no closure and instead tons of plot holes is a big disappointment. Not to mention that if you were involved with the game's 'lore', the ending would make absolutely no sense.

I personally found the dialogue in this instalment particular dry, even boring. Not a good thing in a game where you spend a lot of time talking to NPCs.

2. The renegade/paragon system seemed more superficial in this instalment. Do not believe that you control the way the story develops by your so called choices. In the end you have 3 set endings and it seems like your choices are illusory at best.

After a while I either forgot or didn't care about being renegade/paragon because the game seemed absent of truly reflecting the moral decisions I made. I couldn't change a major part of the story from my decisions, I couldn't stop a crew mate I liked from dying, then what was the point of the decision system?

They could have stepped it up on how your decisions impacted your universe but they didnâ…Expand

I consider myself a Mass Effect Fan having played Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2 multiple times and enjoying the experience, but Mass Effect 3 irked me in many ways.1. Origin Exclusive - To play this game, you are forced to sign up and play through the developer's portal. Since I have membership to 7 other gaming websites, signing up to an 8th makes it difficult to keep track of whereI consider myself a Mass Effect Fan having played Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2 multiple times and enjoying the experience, but Mass Effect 3 irked me in many ways.1. Origin Exclusive - To play this game, you are forced to sign up and play through the developer's portal. Since I have membership to 7 other gaming websites, signing up to an 8th makes it difficult to keep track of where all my games are registered to.2. Multiplayer - In the game to get the best ending, you have to completely exhaust all single player missions and do some multiplayer. Some people like myself think multiplayer and RPGs don't mix.3. The ending is completely at odds with how the entire saga played out. It has very little choice, plays like some existentialistic dream at odds with reality and gives no satisfying conclusion. It seems devoted to making some writer at Bioware smile in joy with the emotions they have inspired with the ending - the emotions of anger and disappointment it brings out in the player. I've never seen such an abrupt and jarring ending since KOTOR2. It has been universally slammed by fans whilst critics and Bioware opine that the fans have to eat it.However, the game was great with simple missions that don't take too long to complete, plot twists, great graphics and challenging combat. The romances, storylines and respect to the choices players have made in the past (except for the ending), make it a great tale. Great opening, great middle, complete let down at the end.All in all, the game seems devoted to forcefeeding its fans instead of allowing them to take their final journey with Shepard to its ultimate conclusion. For an RPG, this is an unforgivable sin.…Expand

good combat, better then ME1excellent voice actingstory is mediocre (better then 1 not as good as 2) poorly optimized for the PC. plays like a direct console port taking little advantage of a PC keyboardday one DLC brings nothing to the story previous decisions (from 1 and 2) have little impact in 3ending writing is not though out well, poorly written and feels rushed

This is not a game it's a hoax.And I mean it in the most blunt and direct way.It doesn't matter whether the game is good or bad,it's completely irrelevant.The game is purposely DESIGNED to be flawed in the end.The head writer and game director should be charged of felony because this is criminal punishment thing.Really.They sell a product as it is funcional when a matter of fact is that itThis is not a game it's a hoax.And I mean it in the most blunt and direct way.It doesn't matter whether the game is good or bad,it's completely irrelevant.The game is purposely DESIGNED to be flawed in the end.The head writer and game director should be charged of felony because this is criminal punishment thing.Really.They sell a product as it is funcional when a matter of fact is that it is not and can only be used ONCE.They are lying to the consumers.And I must repeat that this is not some vague"artistic"take on the game quality,it really isn't .You can see that the game is purposely made the way it is by the fact that ONLY last 5 min. of it are made in a way that completely makes pointless all you ever done in the game and previously 2 games.No wrighter can do this on accident.Its impossible.This is just a crook covering his tracks.BECAUSE if RPG at the very end has completely opened resolution witch is denied of all internal,external or any kind of logic patterns,the only purpose of that kind of consolation of story narrative is to PURPOSELY DESTROY everything that has build up to it.And when someone is selling you this its time to call the cops.DO not buy this game,DO not watch this game,report it.I'm absolutely disgusted calling myself a writer knowing that out there is someone called Mac Walters who DELIBERATELY denied RPG of its replayability,making people on forums such as BWN docile and depressive only so that EA can shorten lifespan of game to a cach-go for multiplayer and further consummation(which is not cheap) of more of the same broken one-time to use pile of crap.…Expand

Mass effect 3 has become more shooter than RPG, all of these settings are more similar to weapons purchase in a counter-streak, and the skills needed for the opponents of deportation from the walls. The ending is absolutely stupid. Diagnosis: a shooter that is worse than counter-strike, with dialogue from the mass effect 1-2, and very stupid ending.

Mass Effect 3 continues the engaging and wonderful traditions of the first two games in the series... right up until the finale. Without including any spoilers, I wish I could say that I just didn't like the end, or that the I didn't agree with the way BioWare chose to finish their masterpiece. Instead, the ending trivializes everything that made this series wonderful and nullifies anyMass Effect 3 continues the engaging and wonderful traditions of the first two games in the series... right up until the finale. Without including any spoilers, I wish I could say that I just didn't like the end, or that the I didn't agree with the way BioWare chose to finish their masterpiece. Instead, the ending trivializes everything that made this series wonderful and nullifies any replayability. Mass Effect 3... none of your decisions matter. Skip this one if you loved the first two.…Expand

Mass Effect 3 is the culmination of one of the largest attempts at fusing gameplay and narrative to date. From the beginning, the bargain has been this: Bioware is telling a story about Shepherd vs. the Reapers; the players are choosing how Shepherd goes about this.

For most of the game, Bioware tells a magnificent story, while providing changes and consequences to support the choices ofMass Effect 3 is the culmination of one of the largest attempts at fusing gameplay and narrative to date. From the beginning, the bargain has been this: Bioware is telling a story about Shepherd vs. the Reapers; the players are choosing how Shepherd goes about this.

For most of the game, Bioware tells a magnificent story, while providing changes and consequences to support the choices of individual players. This produces a remarkable degree of player investment. Unfortunately, the very end of the storyline deliberately averts any catharsis.

People remember the peak and end of an experience. Bioware ensured that the peak experience of the trilogy was this ending, and that the ending caused revulsion and rage.

Do not play unless you can ignore the story entirely - in which case, why not play a game less focused on story?

What happened to Bioware? Where did you go wrong? The once proud creators of 3 of the best RPGs in all of gaming (KOTOR, ME1, DA:O) have become the peddlers of mindless garbage like Mass Effect 3 and DA2. The whole idea of Mass Effect was the 'EFFECT' part. Your actions are supposed to effect the outcome of the game, and the series. This game literally takes every decision you haveWhat happened to Bioware? Where did you go wrong? The once proud creators of 3 of the best RPGs in all of gaming (KOTOR, ME1, DA:O) have become the peddlers of mindless garbage like Mass Effect 3 and DA2. The whole idea of Mass Effect was the 'EFFECT' part. Your actions are supposed to effect the outcome of the game, and the series. This game literally takes every decision you have made in the previous games, laughs at them and then flushes them down the toilet. Sometimes just strait up telling you, "no you didn't choose to kill that guy last time because we feel he is important to the story we are trying to cram down your gullet! But you can choose which one of your companions you want to boink, even the gay one! LOOK HOW EDGY AND COOL WE ARE!"

This game is an insult and a travesty to anyone that played the games before. At least Bioware had the decency to change main characters before ruining Dragon Age. The graphics look good some of the time, and the song in the purgatory club has a good Daft Punk beat. Otherwise play Mass Effect 1 and 2 again and just imagine the end of ME2 is the ending of the series, you will be far far happier than the choose your death ending of ME3…Expand

I'm really sorry to give this game such a low score, but I found the way it rounded up the trilogy outright offensive. The first ME got me hooked by the level of writing that is uncharacteristic of most video games and some of other mediaâ

Mass Effect 3 overall is a fantastic game that I thoroughly enjoyed. Putting the past 4/5 years of effort into multiple play-throughs of both previous games I had high expectations of ME3 which were (mostly) fully met and realised. That is; until the last 15 minutes of the game. The finale takes absolutely no notice of any choices you have made in the previous games and boils down toMass Effect 3 overall is a fantastic game that I thoroughly enjoyed. Putting the past 4/5 years of effort into multiple play-throughs of both previous games I had high expectations of ME3 which were (mostly) fully met and realised. That is; until the last 15 minutes of the game. The finale takes absolutely no notice of any choices you have made in the previous games and boils down to "Press Red, Green or Blue to finish the game".

As a new-comer to Mass Effect this won't matter and will overall be a great game - But to those players who have invested time and effort into the franchise, the ending scenes will feel like a crushing blow.As a huge Mass Effect fan, I felt dirty upon finishing it - Like I'd been sucker-punched and then spat on. Wrapping up 3 games, Over 80+ hours of gameplay with a Red, Blue or Green decision... Gutted. Disappointed. Pissed off.…Expand

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COME ON, please stop posting reviews before you finished the game! If I were to review mass effect before I got to the ending i would probably at least give it a 9 however that is not the case. The ending simply kills everything there is to the game making everything completely pointless. I have absolutely no problem with Shepard dying in the end I actually think its a quite fitting end for the series to go. However the lack of aftermath to the universe is just sad. You spend hours upon hours crafting the universe for the way you want it to be after all this is done only to get Shepard's death and a light show. All I was asking for is to show us what we did in the game mattered show us how even though he sacrificed himself in the end that what he did mattered and changed the universe besides the destruction/control/synthesis with the reapers. What happened with the geth/quarians, the krogan, asari, turians, salarians, your crew who you developed a relationship along the 3 games and your love interest. The choices you made in all 3 games mean absolutely nothing in the end you basically just choose the color you want the explosion to be in. The war assets which is basically the main drive of the game have little impact in the final battle besides unlocking the final 3 endings which frankly why would you care if you only get a different explosion and a greenish EDI as an extra in the end.…Expand

Main problem with me 3 was absence of any deep and engaging story and to simplified rpg element.
In me1 we where detectives discovering secrets, which shed new light on stuff we where thinking that we allready got figured out.
And there was those little things like talking to survivors and then deciding to punch or calm down guy that is having nervous break down.And there was lots ofMain problem with me 3 was absence of any deep and engaging story and to simplified rpg element.
In me1 we where detectives discovering secrets, which shed new light on stuff we where thinking that we allready got figured out.
And there was those little things like talking to survivors and then deciding to punch or calm down guy that is having nervous break down.And there was lots of those fun little stuff that make you live me1 story.
In me3 there is no multiple quest hubs like there was on planets in me1, like Noveria, Feros and so on...
Those quest hubs had side quests that allowed us to get know stuff and people around us in much more depth.
Like making repairs of equipment for feros survivors, it was wellcome change of pace for the game, like calm before the storm.Me3 feels like shooter, and everything fill so rushed.Get from point A to B , kill that many wawes of enemy.

Another thing that i miss is mako and fighting through great enviroments like Virmire or ilos.
And in general there was much more diversity of enviroments in me1.

Me3 should have been all about discovering weaknesses, origin and reason behind reapers, even if we had to venture beyond previously inactive relays to alien and forgotten worlds.
We should have been pioneers and detectives once again.

We should have get that "Whoow" effect once again which me3 failed to deliver.…Expand

When I first saw the user ratings, I thought maybe a group of players were just being overly dramatic. I was dead wrong.

While Bioware did a decent job on story, most of it was just reusing previous material from the first and second games. Unfortunately, this is the only good thing I have to say about this game. Combat feels like if I played the COD4 campaign 4 times in a row. TheWhen I first saw the user ratings, I thought maybe a group of players were just being overly dramatic. I was dead wrong.

While Bioware did a decent job on story, most of it was just reusing previous material from the first and second games. Unfortunately, this is the only good thing I have to say about this game. Combat feels like if I played the COD4 campaign 4 times in a row. The first and second times would be fun, but the third and fourth are just the same things over and over again, and it feels like with all game combat, depending on which part of the story you are on, they would use copy and paste more. The last battle was RIDICULOUS. It became a test to see how long I could hold down the left click button, with 30 enemies plus 5-10 mini-bosses coming all at once, and sooner or later, the sheer spam would always back me into a corner, where 5 of the minibosses would keep on using stun attacks to keep me from running or even firing back. The sheer length of the combat fights is terrible as well, it would be safe to estimate that over half of the fighting you will be doing in this game is just filler, especially the last mission. In only one small section of the last mission, I'd go up against waves that would take around 20-30 minutes to complete, with over 4 waves to complete. This is one SECTION which is 100% combat spam that takes more than 2 hours to complete. So you just shoot for 2 hours straight at the same enemies, using the same weapons and same tactics. I've watched chick flicks with women that not even including the benefits of the woman are MUCH more exciting than the combat in this game. It is a sad state of affairs when Bioware games turn into a giant grind instead of story, and the whole game feels like it was made by a 3rd rate developer that had no clue what they were doing and instead mashed everything together and called it a game. Bioware has been on the decline since ME2 and Dragon Age 2, but with the release of ME3, it is safe to say that they are a dead company now.…Expand

Mass Effect was a great game, the only complaints I can recall being performance (optimization?) issues and the rather clunky inventory.Mass Effect 2, counting the DLCs (esp. Lair of the Shadow Broker), was also a great game. It wasn't perfect : some aspects felt over-simplified when compared to the first game, and the resolution of the main story could have used more choices. Still, aMass Effect was a great game, the only complaints I can recall being performance (optimization?) issues and the rather clunky inventory.Mass Effect 2, counting the DLCs (esp. Lair of the Shadow Broker), was also a great game. It wasn't perfect : some aspects felt over-simplified when compared to the first game, and the resolution of the main story could have used more choices. Still, a great game.Mass Effect 3, the finale of a trilogy, was also a great game, for the most part. Decent graphics. Great looking locations/environments. Pretty cinematics/FMVs. Dramatic (if a bit overly so, at times) sequences. Superb score/soundtrack. The dialogue, like the previous game, was mostly solid (ok, there were some cheesy/seeming forced/heavy-handed bits, like a few speeches). The plot was 'ok', but could use some beefing up/more work, but it was, for the most part, 'ok' (not counting the ending). Almost everything was great. Almost.The ending, IMHO, ruins, not just the game, but, as it is the ending of a trilogy, the franchise as well.The ending doesn't feel to be 'in character' with the setting or even the overall feel of the game and the franchise. The ending seemingly negates any choice and also disregards (or doesn't reward) the efforts of the player throughout the game. It is very, very disappointing.The ending alone makes me unable to, in good conscience, recommend the game to anyone I know. Unless Bioware were to 'fix' the endings by providing more options/choices, as well as clarifying the mess that is the current set of endings, I won't recommend the game, nor will I purchase any downloadable content for Mass Effect 3.

The game is absolutely top notch until the ending is reached and you're presented with 3 choices. 3 choices which completely dismiss any decisions you've made prior in any of the 3 games. There are 3 ending scenes with no closure and a convoluted, out of character plot which disregard the franchises key themes. This destroys any motivation you may have to replay this game-or any of theThe game is absolutely top notch until the ending is reached and you're presented with 3 choices. 3 choices which completely dismiss any decisions you've made prior in any of the 3 games. There are 3 ending scenes with no closure and a convoluted, out of character plot which disregard the franchises key themes. This destroys any motivation you may have to replay this game-or any of the other ME games.…Expand

There is some merit to what Mass Effect 3 tries to do, but it ultimately fails at the hands of some over-zealous writer who ignores everything that happened during the previous 100 hrs. and shoehorns a new character into the ending that brings in a lot more questions and answers none. There is no pay off to this story, no culmination to your personal decisions, no outcome that make sense,There is some merit to what Mass Effect 3 tries to do, but it ultimately fails at the hands of some over-zealous writer who ignores everything that happened during the previous 100 hrs. and shoehorns a new character into the ending that brings in a lot more questions and answers none. There is no pay off to this story, no culmination to your personal decisions, no outcome that make sense, and you ultimately wonder if everything you did actually mattered then. The answer is that in the end, no, it doesn't matter.…Expand

I can't believe you Bioware! How dare you insult your fanbase with such dimwitted story progression, and worst of all, with an idiotic ending that pissed off everyone as hellfire !! Do you guys have any idea how many people are invested in this game, to see their stories achieve a more fulfilling end? What a logically insulting end, with loads of plot-holes?

The only positive thing aboutI can't believe you Bioware! How dare you insult your fanbase with such dimwitted story progression, and worst of all, with an idiotic ending that pissed off everyone as hellfire !! Do you guys have any idea how many people are invested in this game, to see their stories achieve a more fulfilling end? What a logically insulting end, with loads of plot-holes?

The only positive thing about this game was the entire process of rallying allies. Because I am a more RPG oriented player, rather than bang bang, pow pow... Yet even at that, I couldn't see any satisfying plot writing. The whole marketing hype, day one DLC, and Xbox kinnect components were already indications that something was off about this game. And yet you were so sure that this would be the best game in the series. EPIC FAIL, by literal definition! You probably can't fall deeper than this. Nonetheless, I gave you 3 for your blood and sweat poured into the making of the game. Please get a grip and revitalize yourselves before the shame becomes too unbearable. But first, get rid of that EA leech! There are a lot better publishers out there, smaller, yes, but treat their developers with respect. My suggestion: strike a deal with Valve or create your own publishing company. The Bioware I have known is capable of doing this.…Expand

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I honestly did not get what all the fuss was about, until i took it upon myself to "dive" into the story and see for myself. And boy was it a shallow dive. First, the story. The story is so simple it verges on pointless. Hell, I'd go so far as to say this is the worst, blandest story of ANY game i have played so far. This is very, very bad. I won't go "spoiling" it for you, because frankly, i CAN'T. I don't remember what i did in this game, aside from amassing an army! I don't remember anything interesting about the missions, nor the side-quests. The Gameplay. Or in this case, the arduous art of playing a very boring game. I'd like to warn future players to finish EVERY side quest, before you take on a priority mission, because then you lose all the side quests you didn't finish, and with that vital characters. Read the manual. That is a **** move to keep you replaying the game and seeing how the gameplay is more of a unsatisfying chore as opposed to a fun experience, you'd do well to remember that if you wish to finish it. Pick your covers, because Shepard can't aim well and will get confused sometimes and get out of cover without your command. Also he's sluggish and badly centered so have in mind that shepard's shoulder or head can get in the way of your aim. The visual experience is the only thing that carries this game across. SOMETIMES. There was only one instance that i remember, while playing the game, that actually got me excited a bit. That's the Tresher Maw vs. Reaper on Tuchanka. It was a lovely sequence that kept me going, hoping there would be more such sequences. There weren't any. There was a mass of cliches and uninspiring story elements though. The graphics are just a little polished, nothing new. The animation is stiff and sluggish. Rent or Beware.

Bioware, I **** on your honor. EA, I hope you lying, money grubbing bastards get your just deserts. And i hope you choke on it and rid us all of your blight upon this world.…Expand

After completing the game one has to wonder whether Bioware diverted all their resources to Star Wars - The Old Republic. One can only hope that is the excuse for this ending to the series. Regardless of the excuses or, perish the thought these "endings" were actually planned out, the Nihilistic ending made me regret having spent time even bothering to develop a character. Perhaps it's aAfter completing the game one has to wonder whether Bioware diverted all their resources to Star Wars - The Old Republic. One can only hope that is the excuse for this ending to the series. Regardless of the excuses or, perish the thought these "endings" were actually planned out, the Nihilistic ending made me regret having spent time even bothering to develop a character. Perhaps it's a joke. Or a calculated business move to offer DLC that lets you have an ending where you actually have some impact. As such this mess is such a shame for what had been such a promising series. In my humble opinion it is that bad. And it's sad. Not the sadness of any ending but the saddest thing in the world: Wasted potential. The wasted potential from a sloppy meaningless ending to an otherwise previously well executed series. I have lost the will to replay Mass Effect due to the ending. If that was Bioware's (and/or EA's) intentions, then well played EA/Bioware. I won't bother to return. If this is the same attention they plan for other games then I wish them well. I will not be playing them.…Expand

Bioware disappointed again. This time - the last time. I dont understand where the high score from critics come from - its a proof of how deeply this industry is corrupted. The list of critics who support this **** is simply a pay list.

The game was going great, I could forgive the little errors, the errand-shep side quests, the mediocre graphics, the day 1 DLC... all because the plot stormed along nicely and everything was going as well as could possibly be expected in a galactic war.

I had the Krogan and the Turians, the Geth and the Quarians, even Aria all working together for to good of the galaxy.
I'd rejoined withThe game was going great, I could forgive the little errors, the errand-shep side quests, the mediocre graphics, the day 1 DLC... all because the plot stormed along nicely and everything was going as well as could possibly be expected in a galactic war.

I had the Krogan and the Turians, the Geth and the Quarians, even Aria all working together for to good of the galaxy.I'd rejoined with my LI(Tali), had fun with my bro Garrus and discovered that Shep still can't dance.

The last 5 mins? Ruined the game.The ending of the game was absolutely atrocious and also killed all the replay value for me as a) had to do all the side quests anyway for the GAW thing, no replay there)b) the endings are all terribad and boil down to pretty much a single endings with a different coloured light show.

Come to think of it, it killed the replay value of the entire franchise since none of my choices in ME1 and ME2 made the slightest difference in the end.

If Bioware are going to end a series like that, I'll just avoid their games in the future so I don't end up with a million metric tons of steaming disappoint, especially after being so emotionally invested in both my character and squadmates before being kicked in the face by Casey Hudson's lying foot.…Expand

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Hey Shep, can you grab that medigel please. Shep!? No, what are you doing, planning on competing in the Olympics? If you're done somersaulting around go ahead and come back over here and grab that medigel. Hey Shep, you bored? It's just that you're speaking with Admiral Hackett and staring off into space with a goofy look on your face, probably ought to pay attention, wait maybe I accidentally fired up Garry's Mod. Shep, did you see that? I think it was Tyler Durden, or am I just seeing random flashes of people for no reason again. Hey Shep I like Joker and Edi too but you really need to get back to work, seriously you can't just stand here forever, Shep, HEY SHEP JUST MOVE WHAT"S WRONG WITH YOU.

Ok, seriously I just finished this game, Man I am not in a real great mood now. Let me start by saying Mass Effect 1 and Mass Effect 2 were some of the best examples of video games of all time. This game made me want to smash things so many times as I played it I probably shaved a couple years off my life from the rage. If it had been any other game I would have stopped playing and uninstalled it, unfortunately this was supposed to be Mass Effect so I did not give up cause that's what you do in Mass Effect. From a technical stand point I am unimpressed. I've read that it is a visual improvement over 2, I think I missed that part of the game, maybe it was on Jack's mission cause I missed that one. The controls are terrible. Why does shift do so many things? I have a keyboard in front of me, it has a ton of keys can I use them please? So many times I tried to pick something up just to go flying through the air, other times I was in a hurry cause, you know, impending galactic destruction, and I'd slam straight into a door while mashing the E key, didn't work. At one point I decided it was a stupid irritation to have to find the M key in the dark with my not that side of the keyboard hand so I said hey tab doesn't do anything so I went to the options menu and looked, hmm can't change the Map key huh? That's pretty much idiotic. Of course there's the whole thing where in combat I'd be in cover and try to move to different cover and instead jump over the cover straight into the line of fire, or I'd be shooting things and all that and then just stand up and get my head blown off. All that really increased the overall experience for me. Then there's the screwy behavior during conversations. People teleporting from place to place, or being just plain invisible. Then there's the constant flashes of characters during conversation where they just randomly appear for a split second. Now none of these dialogue are game breakers, just things that completely break your disbelief suspension. No the game breaker is how, as many people have already said, this is not my Shep, this guy says random crap that I don't understand and often doesn't even mean the same thing as what I picked, of course usually that's not much of a problem because I'm usually not given any options.

I did think most of the voice acting was good, except that reporter chick, I'm sure they'll get it in editing. Oh yeah and that whole DLC thing, that's pretty ridiculous, gluttons.Now, on to the real problems. Mostly of course revolving around the ending. My God, you people don't deserve a nickle you made as a result of your initial fan base. I can see uninvested new comers being alright with this, with me however, that was my Shepard you destroyed, and was my hours upon hours of work you disregarded in that two minute waste of space ending cut scene. This was without a doubt the best part of the whole experience for me. So I get there, I talk to the stupid kid that tells me that absolutely moronic story I assume he made up on the spot and attempt to figure out which options the directions represent, so I walk up to the power conduit, first option I looked at and bam the **** bug apparently works here to, my feet are nailed to the floor I guess, so even though this is not the option I want I'm forced to shoot the conduit cause I can't walk around anymore, maybe there's a limit to the number of steps you can take throughout the game. Fortunetly turns out all three endings are the same thing anyway so who cares, I'm not playing it again was a waste 90+ hours anyway, 90 cause the ending negates all three games.

So here's the short and sweet, this got a four because I suspended my bias and the crushing blow this game was to a former fanboy, I wanted to put a zero. If you're a fan of this series, pirate this one, they don't deserve any money for it. Hope Bioware goes down in flames.

Just BAD. not just the ending... the whole story, the no interaction, at least not at the level of the previous titles, you donÂ´t get to know more about Tali (Tali didn't deserve a model for her face either.. getty images... lazyyyyy) or Liara or Garrus or anyone else, except for the history behind the geth and quarian war.. i dont recall anything else that reveals any part ofJust BAD. not just the ending... the whole story, the no interaction, at least not at the level of the previous titles, you donÂ´t get to know more about Tali (Tali didn't deserve a model for her face either.. getty images... lazyyyyy) or Liara or Garrus or anyone else, except for the history behind the geth and quarian war.. i dont recall anything else that reveals any part of the ME universe. And on top of it all, the Ending.. come on... seriously? Huge let down. On the brighter side, the combat was much better than in ME2 i liked the mix between ME! and ME2 features. but its far from enough.…Expand

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This was an epic disappointment. Compared to the other two games in the trilogy, it is bland and lacks clarity. The story also has a lot of inconsistencies and plot holes that fail to match the actual series. There is issues with concluding the game as well.…Expand

I have to say, I loved Mass Effect 3, or at least I thought I did. The combat is definitely greatly improved, it is now much more fluid, and shooter fans will have an easy transition to this game, as the combat is rewarding and the abilities are much more fun and necessary to be effective on the higher difficulties. On the other hand, for people playing for the story, the combat can beI have to say, I loved Mass Effect 3, or at least I thought I did. The combat is definitely greatly improved, it is now much more fluid, and shooter fans will have an easy transition to this game, as the combat is rewarding and the abilities are much more fun and necessary to be effective on the higher difficulties. On the other hand, for people playing for the story, the combat can be tuned down so that it is still the same shooty-killy action sequence, but it takes significantly less time so you can easily get through to the story driven sections of the game. However, the one part they seemed to have skipped on is exploration, in Mass Effect one, we had the Mako, which provided a plethora of opportunities for exploration and side missions, in Mass Effect 2, we could scan planets, this provided an alternate currency system for upgrading your ship as well as still providing an avenue for side missions. However, in Mass Effect 3, there's really no exploration elements, which takes a sizable chunk of gameplay out of the game, as well as limiting us to the hub stations and the one time mission areas, making the game feel increasingly confined. But the problem with appealing to both the story and combat players, is that neither field seems that amazing, the story was quite frankly shallow with very few side plots or twists, and the combat alone was no where near good enough to carry the entire game. The ending was bad, but it wasn't enough to ruin the game for me, and the multiplayer was just, while enjoyable, a ploy to draw in more customers.…Expand

If you have Mass Effect 1 or 2 you have better games than this one. Average game not worth the money. Since Origin took over DRM spyware all over your P.C so it is up to you if you want this. No customer support at all. The multiplayer has massive issues with people not getting the stuff they paid for and no means of getting any resolution from customer service you just get your accountIf you have Mass Effect 1 or 2 you have better games than this one. Average game not worth the money. Since Origin took over DRM spyware all over your P.C so it is up to you if you want this. No customer support at all. The multiplayer has massive issues with people not getting the stuff they paid for and no means of getting any resolution from customer service you just get your account banned saves them needing a customer service department and with a banned account you have no access to the game you paid for. IMO very similar game to 1+2 and not worth more than $5. Hyped beyond belief in Expert reviews. A very linear game save your cash I wish I did.…Expand

This game feels completely different to his predecessors. Bad writing, plotholes and inconsistencies, a forced storyline, "stagnant" characters and autodialogue really prevented me from enjoying this chapter. It just felt.. wrong. Even without addressing the endings issue. Since ME1 (which I loved) it's been a way down.

To be honest 98% of the game is very good and personally i would place ME3 somewhere between first and second installment of the series. However the last 2% is simply terrible . I don't say ending is bad (I could accept it!) - it simply doesn't fit to the ME universe. It really made me think that i wasted more than 100 hours with trilogy for nothing.

The Good: * The game has the classic Mass Effect play style and combat.

The Bad: * They shoe horned multiplayer in and created a reason to make it pertinent.
* The equipment (and hair) of the player models is constantly poking through.
* 90% of the conversations you have do not offer choices of replies - they don't even bring up the conversation wheel.
* Day one DLC which requires oneThe Good: * The game has the classic Mass Effect play style and combat.

The Bad: * They shoe horned multiplayer in and created a reason to make it pertinent.* The equipment (and hair) of the player models is constantly poking through.* 90% of the conversations you have do not offer choices of replies - they don't even bring up the conversation wheel.* Day one DLC which requires one line of code change in order to make it appear and which should have been part of the overall game as it was the one thing that managed to add some depth.* Failure to take into account player choices (from ME1, ME2, or ME3) with the ending.* Endings which appear to provide a choice, but don't. (What color would you like your universe destroying beam to be in?)* No sex scenes, demonstrating EA's editorial control over Bioware productions despite Bioware's claims to the contrary.* None of the side quests you complete appears to have any impact other than increasing your forces' strength for the final battle. The narrative that one might expect from Mass Effect for the individual units brought into play is not there.

As a single game, it's a shallow and fun romp until the very last portion of the game. When you and Anderson are side by side with each other, chatting, stop. Right there is the best ending you can hope for - do NOT continue. Walk away and imagine your ending. You will be happier.

As a series finale this game does NOT suffice. I don't care what theory you take to - that they wanted to show predestination, that Shepard was indoctrinated, that they're holding the series open for DLC. None of that matters. What matters is that the ending to the game - and the series - brings no closure for the player. NONE.

People are claiming that those of us who are complaining about the ending are overreacting. I don't think we can overreact. I have spent hundreds of hours of my life playing this game, I overrode my ban on EA games in order to purchase it, I hoped as a property of Bioware that they would treat the series finale properly. All of those hopes were dashed, destroyed, thrown down, stepped on, and ground into tiny pieces.

Don't buy this game. It's not worth your money. When it's a $5.00 special, it might be worth it. If Bioware rewrites the ending, it might be worth it. Right now? I spent $80.00 on the collector's edition and I wish I could get a refund - of my money, and my play time.

Between this and Dragon Age 2... well, I'm glad the indie games are ramping up because it's obvious I need to find my Western RPG fix somewhere else.…Expand

I gave the low score to this game because it is not a quality game, it is just a cheap knock off mash up of RPG and 3rd person shooter. Ending story was good except you didn't have any choice, but why complaint, the choice was always just an illusion in this game. You choose something, watch different cinematic and then the game just goes on through the same small linear levels with theI gave the low score to this game because it is not a quality game, it is just a cheap knock off mash up of RPG and 3rd person shooter. Ending story was good except you didn't have any choice, but why complaint, the choice was always just an illusion in this game. You choose something, watch different cinematic and then the game just goes on through the same small linear levels with the repeating boring enemies. There is nothing epic about this game. Mass Effect 3 is just an outdated game with super claustrophobic linear level design with one very very small quest hub called Citadel. There is not much to explore and if you do you just rewarded with missions to defend from the waves of enemies. It is not a triple AAA title if you measure it based on the gameplay, Mass Effect 3 world feels dead and empty, this is a below average game except for a few dialogs. And I bet if it wasn't for Bioware brand on the box it would receive critic average score of 3 out 10 here on metacritic. Next time I will only buy Bioware game if it will receive 800 out of 10 here on metacritic.…Expand

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Right up to the end sequence, ME3 was on track to be the BEST GAME SERIES I've ever played from a story perspective. Then the final cutscene played and every single choice made in the game boiled down to 3 identical endings (other than explosion color). Seriously, they really, REALLY screwed the pooch on this one. Now as said, right up to the end sequence, this is the best game story EVER, which makes the FUBAR ending all the more painful.…Expand

Bioware should be ashamed of themselves. This ending was inexcusable. The Deus ex machina explanation for the Reapers and how the Catalyst justified their desruction as a way to save organic's from their own tendencies of destroying themselves was nothing short of ridiculous. Its circular writing, logic and reasoning wrapped into one.

Let me be clear. 99% of this game is an absoluteBioware should be ashamed of themselves. This ending was inexcusable. The Deus ex machina explanation for the Reapers and how the Catalyst justified their desruction as a way to save organic's from their own tendencies of destroying themselves was nothing short of ridiculous. Its circular writing, logic and reasoning wrapped into one.

Let me be clear. 99% of this game is an absolute masterpiece. But the end was so god awful that it actually undermined the brilliance of the entire series. Two things pissed me off in Mass Effect 3, the non-existant closure of the ending, and non-reveal of Tali's face (there was a photo.. but come on) .

Both are inexcusable, and the ending is pathetic. Personally, Bioware, and its Reaper puppeteer should give its consumers FREE ENDING DLC to try and redeem themselves. I already paid around $200 for all three Mass Effect games including numerous dlc packages. Bioware and EA owe their consumers a decent ending with some closure to the characters, planets and races I've come into contact these past 5 years. Bioware should ashamed. TO SHAME!!!!…Expand

The main problem of this game has to be the fact that they left out Drew Karpishyn, the guy who wrote the first two games, I knew right from the beginning, that it didn't feel right, wen I figured out EA put their dirty little hands on everything mass effect, That was the end of it. I invested to much time and money on the series, only for it to be sabotaged by EA and their minions. IThe main problem of this game has to be the fact that they left out Drew Karpishyn, the guy who wrote the first two games, I knew right from the beginning, that it didn't feel right, wen I figured out EA put their dirty little hands on everything mass effect, That was the end of it. I invested to much time and money on the series, only for it to be sabotaged by EA and their minions. I loved the mass effect universe, it got me through tough times, it meant a lot to me, I know that sounds gay but its true, The first two games hit the right buttons for me.

But now I feel worse. The extended cut was the nail on the coffin, and now some **** is already laying out the plans for a mass effect MMO. Extended cut.... More like extended disappointment.. Thats my two cents anyways...…Expand

This game should be a 9, I cared about the characters, the sense of drama was palpable. The action was furious without devolving into a pure shooter, even the side missions didn't feel as forced as they have in the previous games, for the most part it was fantastic.

However, I have to knock off a point for general inexcusable QA failures (LI's not responding to actions in the previousThis game should be a 9, I cared about the characters, the sense of drama was palpable. The action was furious without devolving into a pure shooter, even the side missions didn't feel as forced as they have in the previous games, for the most part it was fantastic.

However, I have to knock off a point for general inexcusable QA failures (LI's not responding to actions in the previous games) another point for some horrific animation glitches (characters not facing each other when they talk eyes rolling back into heads, necks twisting 180 degrees), a point for the poor integration of the From Ashes DLC (Seriously, a Prothean? much more content was needed for such and important character, I'd have been happy to pay more for it), another point off for the multi-player which is good but the matchmaking is horribly unstable (On PC at least) making it a frustrating process, And finally a massive 4 points off for absolutely horrific and poorly thought out ending that has soured the whole series for me, and obliterated any replay value. Hence we go from a "near-perfect" 9 to an "Oh goddess what have you done" 2…Expand

They did it again, they mad an awesome game with Mass Effect 1, a little while later they made a good game, a little dumped down but still a game that was true to its roots in the RPG genre. And now they made this.... It was, for me, the only game i have been looking insanely forward to, iv have spent so many hours with my 2 characters that they feel like a part of me. But in this game,They did it again, they mad an awesome game with Mass Effect 1, a little while later they made a good game, a little dumped down but still a game that was true to its roots in the RPG genre. And now they made this.... It was, for me, the only game i have been looking insanely forward to, iv have spent so many hours with my 2 characters that they feel like a part of me. But in this game, they don't!!!The RP elements is all gone, this is more off elaborate cut-scenes that feels like any time a quirk time event could pop up.... And don't even get me started on the endings, I just don't feel "involved" in every 8 off them....The multi-player system is ok, but feels "detached", you cant even text chat with the other players?!?!?The companion ai is soo bad... default: they will run off and get them self killed, and if you try to control them they just stand around and can't find the way... or ignores the order... The animations and sound feels rushed, the side quest tracking system simply don't exists, you have next to none communication with the quest giver (they have no idea you are about to go around the galaxy to find something) These are for me just the top off the iceberg. All in all, Bioware has ruined the Mass Effect ending for me.…Expand

After DA2 and SWTOR, I was really scared that Mass Effect 3 would be really bad, and oh boy, was I right... First of all, you are forced to play multiplayer or most probably you get the bad ending. This is a problem now, but in 3-4 months, when people stop playing multiplayer, its going to be an even worse situation. Second of all, the goddamn first day DLC, when its already present of theAfter DA2 and SWTOR, I was really scared that Mass Effect 3 would be really bad, and oh boy, was I right... First of all, you are forced to play multiplayer or most probably you get the bad ending. This is a problem now, but in 3-4 months, when people stop playing multiplayer, its going to be an even worse situation. Second of all, the goddamn first day DLC, when its already present of the disc I goddamn buyed few days ago, and Bioware lying about it just makes things worse. Overall I am just disappointed, I will most likely will not check the next Bioware game even tho it was one my favorite gaming companies... RIP Bioware that delivered us Baldurs Gate, Neverwinter Nights, KOTOR...…Expand

For some reason, Bioware decided to make ME3 a third-person shooter game with pretty cut-scenes. The RP element that made the Mass Effect series so unique was largely missing from the game, along with side-quests. I can't say I understand that, given there's a 'combat-only' game option. And, for pretending to be a shooter, there was actually no ending boss fight. I probably would forgiveFor some reason, Bioware decided to make ME3 a third-person shooter game with pretty cut-scenes. The RP element that made the Mass Effect series so unique was largely missing from the game, along with side-quests. I can't say I understand that, given there's a 'combat-only' game option. And, for pretending to be a shooter, there was actually no ending boss fight. I probably would forgive some of the dialogue shortage if the ending had actually been worth the tediousness of playing through the game. I was insulted by the ending that was played off as "16 wildly different endings". Bioware didn't even have the respect for their fans to make ONE different cut-scene and instead recycled the same one for every ending. If they had actually delivered, I probably would have forgiven the fact they dropped the RPG element from the game. As it stands, I can't bring myself to play through the game again. It says something when you'd rather read a book than watch a cut-scene again. In ME1 and 2, at least you could vary the dialogue. 30 hours of mediocre game play (riddled with graphics and sound issues that do not do the excellent VA cast and OST justice) is not worth $80.…Expand

The game itself is a really good game, with good combat and good conversation options. Weapon choices and customization add a great variety, whereas different armour types and moves ensure the player can play exactly as they want to play. The characters are fully evolved and draw great depth, creating what could have been the best game of the year. If I could have stopped a second beforeThe game itself is a really good game, with good combat and good conversation options. Weapon choices and customization add a great variety, whereas different armour types and moves ensure the player can play exactly as they want to play. The characters are fully evolved and draw great depth, creating what could have been the best game of the year. If I could have stopped a second before the ending, it would have been 10/10. However then there is the ending. This ending respresents something complete unknown to Mass Effect, gives no closure or reasoning, has no basis for being there, and completely and utterly ruins the game. In fact it ruins Mass Effect 1 and 2 as well, as how could anybody restart the series with this kind of appalling disgraceful ending?…Expand

The reason for such a low score is not for lack of a good game, quite the opposite the game itself is absolutely brilliant and worthy of it's prequels.The ending however was probably the biggest let down of any game I have ever played, leaving the previous experiences with the entire trilogy feeling very hollow and quite without meaning.

One of the most profoundly disappointing endings to any story in any medium. The writers removed the cornerstone in which the entire story was built upon - choice and consequence. So, the entire building comes crashing down at the end. In the end, none of the choices your character makes throughout three games matter. All the relationships you've built are meaningless. There is noOne of the most profoundly disappointing endings to any story in any medium. The writers removed the cornerstone in which the entire story was built upon - choice and consequence. So, the entire building comes crashing down at the end. In the end, none of the choices your character makes throughout three games matter. All the relationships you've built are meaningless. There is no closure in the relationships made, whether between LIs or squad mates. They never come to fruition, and there is no resolution. ME3 was advertised to have a multitude of outcomes based upon players' choices. That's what originally made the Mass Effect franchise such a great success. The finale should have raised the player to great heights or taken the player to despair... and everywhere between based upon the consequences of the player's decisions throughout the entirety of the series(Paragon, Renegade, or somewhere in between). BioWare should have finished their remarkable work on the strengths that it was built on. Choice and consequence. It seemed like a given, but...

You leave the game feeling complete and utter disappointment. It is truly remarkable how an ending can be so profoundly and remarkably bad. It truly destroys the franchise entirely. This is not an easy thing to say, as I've loved the series from the start. There is no replay value at all.

BioWare has ruined years of work in the last ten minutes on what should have been one of the greatest RPGs of all time. It will be a study in the future on how not to end a story franchise.…Expand

This game is great, except the Day 1 DLC AND THE LAST 20 MINUTES!Dumbed down EVERYTHING too, less dialogue options, less squad members, less type of missions, less interaction with characters, almost no answers, FILLED WITH PLOT HOLES. Don't buy this game, do ANYTHING but buy this game. Really, we have to let EA know we wont pup up with incomplete ridiculous endings and DAY 1 DLC.TheyThis game is great, except the Day 1 DLC AND THE LAST 20 MINUTES!Dumbed down EVERYTHING too, less dialogue options, less squad members, less type of missions, less interaction with characters, almost no answers, FILLED WITH PLOT HOLES. Don't buy this game, do ANYTHING but buy this game. Really, we have to let EA know we wont pup up with incomplete ridiculous endings and DAY 1 DLC.They lied about everything, this game is a fail, on EVERY SINGLE LEVEL.…Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
Well I just completed Mass Effect 3. Like 10 minutes ago. Needless to say I am severely disappointed with the ending, because the mass effect games are one of my favorite games ever(along with hl, sonic 2 and silver(1999)). The end itself is totally inconsistent with the rest of the game, it's like if Frodo at the end of LOTR decided to give the ring to Snape (yes Snape from Harry Potter **** you that's why), and then the whole world turns to lava and everyone dies except Boromir and he mates with himself and creates a race of boromirs on Uranus. Also all the choices I made in the game didn't matter whatsoever. It was just brutal to see the awesome universe of mass effect end this way... I expected more. And I bought the collectors edition with the dlc and all that crap, makes me want to puke.…Expand

Overall interesting and engaging in concept and some content. The black box idea of decisions having consequences was what hooked me. Who were the writers trying to copy, Arthur C Clark? Ursula K LeGuin? My fault for trusting that I was in the hands of capable writers. I find no basis for developers to claim artistic integrity. The current ending has an incongruousness that belies the soOverall interesting and engaging in concept and some content. The black box idea of decisions having consequences was what hooked me. Who were the writers trying to copy, Arthur C Clark? Ursula K LeGuin? My fault for trusting that I was in the hands of capable writers. I find no basis for developers to claim artistic integrity. The current ending has an incongruousness that belies the so called pursuit of artistic integrity. It is lazy. it is cobbled. it is Bad Art.…Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
Playing this game is like finding out that your beautiful, intelligent and sweet girlfriend was really a hooker all along who hated you and was only in it for the cash. I played ME1 once before ME2 came out. After ME2, I played both games in succession about 8 or 9 times. I was so excited when ME3 came out, I was finally going to wrap up all my Shep's stories, and they were all going to have a different ending. Except not. It's the same ending for every single one of them, and it makes no sense. After finishing Mass Effect 3, I felt repulsion to a franchise that I once adored. There are some great moments in the game, almost like Bioware's last shred of integrity was working overtime to outdo all the bad, but it's not enough to redeem it. It's not just the ending, the players who romanced most of the ME2 characters were left sorely disappointed by the lack of character interaction. Ashley, the tough soldier girl, was mirandafied - because apparently the game didn't have enough pornstar looking women in it. The addition of Allers, a badly voiced, do nothing character based on an IGN reporter, was a glorious mistake. Kai Leng, one of the main antagonists, felt like he accidentally walked into the wrong game on his way to Street Fighter or something. Day one DLC is a massive Eff you to the fans (and the "Buy More DLC!" message that pops up while you're trying to process the endings is just awful). The multiplayer, while fun, should have been given less development time. I would have accepted it as a DLC even, if that were possible. I don't know who's idea it was to scap the final boss fight, but that person needs to go sit in a corner and think about what they have done.

There are some positives, I won't forget them. The voice acting, for the most part, is superb. Some of the character arcs are handled brilliantly (Mordin !), I found the combat system highly enjoyable (coming from someone who fumbled through ME1 on normal). As a card carrying Garrus fangirl, I felt spoilt by the romance subplot. I liked the idea of the EMS, but I wish some of the larger plotlines (Racnhi, for example) were given more in the ending. The squadmate banter was fantastic, and it was great nice to see them recognise each other's existence in the cutscenes. I liked that I could customise my weapons again, even if it did feel a bit pointless.

But none of this makes up for the fact that it feels like my reward for being a devoted fan is getting treated like a nuisance. My first gut reaction after the ending was "Wow...Bioware must really hate me." It's like they got sick of crafting a masterful story and phoned the rest in to appeal to the COD crowd. I don't like to play the "they dumbed it down to appeal to the masses" card...but that is really how it feels. The worst part, is I am not sure this is all entirely Bioware's fault. The ending, of course, rests solely on their shoulders, but I am not sure about everything else. If the reviews say anything, it's that Bioware now makes games for critics, and not their fans.…Expand

Mass Effect 3 is the third installment of an incredible sci-fi role-playing adventure game, where players can make choices that impact the storyline throughout the entire series (there are reportedly over 1000 possible story "paths"). ME3 does not disappoint for 99% of the game -- the graphics, sound, voice acting, game play, and sheer scope are all absolutely stunning.

The problem isMass Effect 3 is the third installment of an incredible sci-fi role-playing adventure game, where players can make choices that impact the storyline throughout the entire series (there are reportedly over 1000 possible story "paths"). ME3 does not disappoint for 99% of the game -- the graphics, sound, voice acting, game play, and sheer scope are all absolutely stunning.

The problem is that, in the end, it's all for nothing. I will not spoil it for you, except to say that the choices and reputation a player spends more than a hundred hours developing over three games have no real impact on the ending. The final choices are not only nonsensical (actually contradicting several points already established in the game) but you only get the option of up to three basically identical endings regardless of your efforts.

The effect is much like watching the old show "Dallas" where, in the end, you find out that the entire show was just one long dream sequence. ME3 is a fun experience, but in the end it is just not a very fulfilling one.…Expand

I would have expected an enhanced ME2, and a bit more freedom of movement. Bad graphics "upgrade", really looks poor, bad animations, poorer gameplay than ME2 imho. A poor display for a "grand finale".

Highs :Game-play - Quick, fluent. Action packed. Squad mates were good and the AI was clever through out the entire game. Story - Through out most of the game you made choices some of them were brilliant and mattered, some brought you to the point of tears, some may of made you question your own morals.Multiplayer - Fantastic multiplayer, although seems a bit more sluggish somehwat,Highs :Game-play - Quick, fluent. Action packed. Squad mates were good and the AI was clever through out the entire game. Story - Through out most of the game you made choices some of them were brilliant and mattered, some brought you to the point of tears, some may of made you question your own morals.Multiplayer - Fantastic multiplayer, although seems a bit more sluggish somehwat, maybe its just me, but overall it was good.

Lows:Characters : Dead, personality wise, completely dead. You get a completely new character and he is basically a idiot who works out a lot and somehow he is actually and N7 Candidate, I have already forgotten his name, SERIOUSLY. Oh, and the small amount of characters is also quite disappointing considering in the other two there were so many. Story/Ending : Sucker punch in the face or a kick in the private area. Your pick…Expand

ATW - Another Time Waster..... AMW - Another Money Waster..... I got so excited when I heard the 3rd installment for Mass Effect 3 was coming to town.... My wife even pre-ordered a copy for me for the same date release and play...... BUT.... I was sadly dissapointed. I was so impressed with Mass effect 2's dynamic play, control, featres and RPG type feel to your players, I was certainATW - Another Time Waster..... AMW - Another Money Waster..... I got so excited when I heard the 3rd installment for Mass Effect 3 was coming to town.... My wife even pre-ordered a copy for me for the same date release and play...... BUT.... I was sadly dissapointed. I was so impressed with Mass effect 2's dynamic play, control, featres and RPG type feel to your players, I was certain that ME3 would be that much better....but its not. ME2 you could mine minerals off various planets and solar systems, giving you a feel of control and power, but now, you need to dogde aliens from destroying whilest you basically collect 1 item, if you are lucky from some random planet. The gameplay is very much the same as ME2, altough not a bad thing, it was not enhanced, just the same with slightly different damages.... The story feels more scripted then before too. ME2 I could not put down, had to finish, played it day and night till I did..... ME3, I may have played about 8 hours.... and is not currently installed..... Feel that my money was a waste this time round....... Boo....…Expand

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu731UtTFqo I wish I could have seen this before purchasing ME3.

Personally, I was a loyal follower of the ME franchise since a year or so after the first game came out. I watched as a high-quality RPG turned into a fun storytelling-driven shooter hybrid. I enjoyed both of the first two games, but worried that Bioware may have been taking too manyhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu731UtTFqo I wish I could have seen this before purchasing ME3.

Personally, I was a loyal follower of the ME franchise since a year or so after the first game came out. I watched as a high-quality RPG turned into a fun storytelling-driven shooter hybrid. I enjoyed both of the first two games, but worried that Bioware may have been taking too many creative liberties with game play design. After DA2 became a malignant tumor on the whole DA franchise, I worried that marketing was steering video games toward a more obviously profit-driven path. I enjoyed seeing some of my favorite characters in ME3, but having the entire series to compare the game to I felt disappointed and wished I hadn't purchased it before it's price plummeted. The game screams linearity, entire plot lines promised to have wildly different conclusions were railroaded and some of the characters with strong convictions pulled a 180 in the (choo-choo) 6-month mandated shore leave Shep was put on after Arrival (whether or not it was even played). James Vega was chosen by Bioware, knowing fewer squad mates would be included in this game, to accommodate newer players and have someone dumber than them on the Normandy. 17% of your squad is new, has no clue what's going on, and was included solely for first-time players; It really sends a message to those who have played the game for 5+ years (notice Vega wasn't made DLC; he must have either been considered more 'essential' than a Prothean by the devs or EA thought nobody would buy it). A broken journal system ensures players will constantly be wondering whether they scanned the right section of space for an item or have yet to drop it off to the NPC on the citadel who's conversation Shep overheard (these are laughably called 'side missions'). After you're confused by wtf just happened after the endings, you can buy all the answers in DLC form for $10 in Leviathan. This game is complete rubbish without the answers in that DLC pack (and even so, the plot further devolves into a joke). What's worst of all for me: this game makes me feel embarrassed for all the recommendations I gave out for the series after ME1 and ME2. I know I've personally brought 6 friends into the Mass Effect world, and only one of them enjoyed the "experience" of ME3. The rest still joke about the endings over a year past the game's release, and according to much of the polling done the majority of the fan base feels the same way. After this debacle, I won't be making that mistake with Bioware products again.…Expand

The problem with ME 3 is, that you will need citadel DLC and extended cut to be a good game. Even with these DLC it is still inferior to ME 2. Ending is trash but the rest of the game is ok. Weakest in Mass Effect trilogy by far.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
Easily the worst part of the trilogy. And this is not only about the abysmal end. The game feels shallow and short compared to parts 1 and 2. It starts out with introducing a new squadmate, which Shepard obviously knows but the player, unless they have read the comics, doesn't have a clue about. Dialogues are cliche and mostly run on auto. A kid, the one and only one in the whole trilogy tries to force the player into some kind of emotion, which rapidly becomes a nuisance when the dream sequences start. Multiplayer is tacked on in order to catch what the EA crew calls the COD crowd. I don't need it, and I didn't need the overall shooter feel of the game, whereas the real strenghts of the previous games take the backseat. It's fun to play once, but it's not something having a long shelve life, since the seen one seen them all feeling kicks in with a vengeance.…Expand

This game rightfully earns a 7. And while I could just blabber on about the ending, the subpar game mechanics, and most of the horrendous design choices in general, I'll just sum this review up simply. Don't buy this game for a satisfying single player game, but it for co-op with your friends. Co-op is the only reason I own this game, with a whopping 500 hours played on it, it's fantastic.This game rightfully earns a 7. And while I could just blabber on about the ending, the subpar game mechanics, and most of the horrendous design choices in general, I'll just sum this review up simply. Don't buy this game for a satisfying single player game, but it for co-op with your friends. Co-op is the only reason I own this game, with a whopping 500 hours played on it, it's fantastic. And with free DLC content being added, you can't go wrong. The MP is fantastic in my opinion, and while it doesn't feel "like mass effect" because it's a 3rd person horde mode and not a story driven emotional title, it's fantastically done. Do yourself a favor and skip the campaign.…Expand

First off the multiplayer is fun, totally enjoyed my time on that even if it is rather limited. Secondly, I have to put the boot in over the single-player part. Its a shame cause its obvious so many people have put such hard work into it. The graphics, programming and overall story arc are fine but let down so fundamentally by the dialogue writers. Half the time I wasn't sure what the hellFirst off the multiplayer is fun, totally enjoyed my time on that even if it is rather limited. Secondly, I have to put the boot in over the single-player part. Its a shame cause its obvious so many people have put such hard work into it. The graphics, programming and overall story arc are fine but let down so fundamentally by the dialogue writers. Half the time I wasn't sure what the hell was supposed to be going on, or why x character had just been bumped off in seemingly quick and nonsensical fashion - I began to find it all rather funny waiting to see who'd get the chop next and how cheap and quickly it could be done. The ending isn't the problem really the whole single player game is poorly designed - the lack of choice, the overly long cut-scenes which the player has no input into, the lack of interesting side missions... fixing the endings won't help this game it needs to be re-booted (we get so many film re-boots, why not game ones?) preferably bring back Drew Karpyshyn too. I loved the first two games but felt compelled to finish this one only cause I had payed money for it, the single player game is that inconsistent and low quality. I rate the game as a five only for the multiplayer content and the hard work put into it by the development team (aside from the writers who seemingly didn't feel they had to trouble themselves too much). I don't blame EA for this, not too fond of origin but at least I got some money's worth out of the multiplay. This mess is totally on Bioware and the first game of theirs i've played were the story was the worst thing about it (aside from DA2 which I missed as it looked so pathetic).…Expand

An absolutely terrible end to a great series. Reeks of a company trying to expand the target market of their game at the worse possible time and without taking proper concern as to the affect it would have on the game.

Many of the original choices and decisions you make in previous game are not addressed and completely forgotten. The introduction of new character undermine existing onesAn absolutely terrible end to a great series. Reeks of a company trying to expand the target market of their game at the worse possible time and without taking proper concern as to the affect it would have on the game.

Many of the original choices and decisions you make in previous game are not addressed and completely forgotten. The introduction of new character undermine existing ones and have zero depth.

Gameplay is largely the same though let down by very far behind the times graphics and laughable animations.

Bioware made a power play for the market when joining with EA and releasing 3 utterly abysmal games in TOR, ME3 and Dragon Age 2. These have pretty much condemned their reputation with the gaming community and undone over a decade of hard work from the company.

It has been so long since the release and I'm sure if anyone did some basic research there would be nothing I could say that would be new to them. This franchise started out promisingly but it seems that the quality of the writing went downhill somewhere along the way. it's almost as if bioware just started thinking that ME was too big fail to a certain extent, so released a sub-parIt has been so long since the release and I'm sure if anyone did some basic research there would be nothing I could say that would be new to them. This franchise started out promisingly but it seems that the quality of the writing went downhill somewhere along the way. it's almost as if bioware just started thinking that ME was too big fail to a certain extent, so released a sub-par product. I put in more than 100 hrs into the first 2 games but after playing less than 8 hrs of ME3 (completed with full EMS rating) I never touched it again, even after the new ending dlc. I felt that watching the new "cutscenes" on youtube was better than having to drudge through the game again. This game just felt like a chore. There was nothing in this game that it did better than any other game in the market.

As an action game:
if you are going for an action type game there are 2 things that you have to make sure are on the money at the very least: good controls and for single player games: a decent ai. for me3 there is one button that does every single action. sprinting, taking cover, opening things, talking to people etc. it's all one button! didn't someone think this would be a little much? and how come there is no way for the player to bind these actions to a different key? The AI is also pretty bad. they only do 3 things back pedal, play peek-a-boo from cover or just blindly charge. even in the hardest difficulty i never found myself thinking of using a clever strategy or anything like that. most of the time the only reason why anything is even slightly difficult is just because the AI just gets a damage and hp buff but still act like complete idiots without the slightest clue on whats going on.

as an rpg (gameplay-wise):
a big part of an rpg is customization. armor, skills, weapons, and the feeling of accomplishment when you get that one rare item. me3 fails on all counts. there is a very minimal amount of customization in all of these categories. armor and weapons are one of the biggest disappointments, everything is just a recycled item from a previous game that many of us had already unlocked/found/bought in a previous game. So there is no real sense of accomplishment but more of just recovering what was already yours to begin with. As for the skills, sure there are different classes and 2 branches of any single skill but these skill trees are some of the most watered down ones i have seen. There is little to no real depth in combining skills and playstyles. if your an adept/sentinel you just invest in biotic explosion combos, if your an engineer you go for overload and the cryo/incinerate combo, if your a vanguard you just charge around, if your a soldier you invest in adrenaline rush and concussive shot or carnage since grenades aren't that useful, these are if your going to stay light for the recharge speed otherwise you could just go and stuff yourself with guns and just get run over. the class with the most variation is really the infiltrator since they can use a shotgun instead of a sniper rifle and that's it really. the game gets monotonous really fast, since all your doing is just doing 1 thing respective to the class you are playing.

story:
There isn't much i can say about this that everyone has already pounded into the ground. you can tell when a story is good when you feel immersed, you imagine yourself as part of the story in some way. at certain points you do feel this, but you are abruptly jerked out of it as some nonsensical plot device or quest jumps out and just slaps you across the face. so many of the quests are just fetch quests with little to no real significance and just drag out the story, leaving you to sit impatiently thinking "get on with it!" and it feels like shepherd is just a plain idiot sometimes. he says and does things that no rational person who is supposed to have gone through the same experiences would say. The whole first game was about finding the conduit which was a way to "teleport" to the citidel, yet in ME3 when the alliance needs to get to the citidel they just plum forget that this conduit even exists. not to mention shepherd seems completely emotionless as his friends die right in front of him (ie: thane, grunt, mordin, samara, legion, and pretty much anyone else). by the end of the game i hated shepherd, i felt like he was more of an impediment rather than a character you project yourself on to.

This game is not worth the money. If i had known what this game was like before buying it, i wouldn't have even been willing to pay $30 for it. I feel like I would have been happier just ending it at ME2 and just thinking of it as a cliff hanger ending.…Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
This game was a great game in my opinion, well in line with the previous two; but I had a few issues.

In places, the battles are seemingly just a time-sink; lots of husks slowly pop out no matter how fast you kill them - head-shot each one, and it still takes over a minute to clear some areas that wouldn't take very long if they came fast or all at once.

The biggest problem, however? The ending is terrible. It has no real closure to the story; and worst of all the three endings are essentially the same piece of crap.…Expand

Mass Effect 3 is the least successful episode in the saga: you play it because it is a bond that lasts for years, because the vulgar scifi also always has a shot (even if only in some microexperience side), because the mechanical augmentation between phases play with the characters and relationships always work, but basically is a way to appeal to the full only to those who still enjoysMass Effect 3 is the least successful episode in the saga: you play it because it is a bond that lasts for years, because the vulgar scifi also always has a shot (even if only in some microexperience side), because the mechanical augmentation between phases play with the characters and relationships always work, but basically is a way to appeal to the full only to those who still enjoys this kind of epic onanistic…Expand

Many people rate this game under 4 because of it's ending. Well, to be honest it had way more problems than the ending alone. The running animations were really bad (especially Anderson's) , there were loads of auto-dialogue which is not acceptable for a game like Mass Effect where dialogue is a gameplay mechanic, wasted potential for characters ( see: Liara as the Shadow Broker) andMany people rate this game under 4 because of it's ending. Well, to be honest it had way more problems than the ending alone. The running animations were really bad (especially Anderson's) , there were loads of auto-dialogue which is not acceptable for a game like Mass Effect where dialogue is a gameplay mechanic, wasted potential for characters ( see: Liara as the Shadow Broker) and killing characters for no reason (see: Legion). Also, the sidequests (or lack thereof). The game had very little sidequests that involved actual gameplay, 75% of the sidequests being fetchquests. Then comes the horrible lore breaking ending. Even with the Extended Cut DLC it still is one of the worst endings to a trilogy I've ever seen. It also has little to no replayability and is extremely linear. Talking about replayability it also destroys the replayability of the other 2 games aswell, seeing as the ending doesn't show the consequences of your choices. The only good part about this game is it's combat, return of weapon mods and actual skill trees. Therefore I rate this game a 5/10.…Expand

I'm going to try reviewing this without talking about the disgrace to gaming known as "EA"... But what the hell, EA deliver minimal gaming to the public, expecting them to survive on a half-done game, and deliver their wallets for the next 5000 DLC's. I cannot understand why EA take companies such as Bioware, who have been immensely successful in the past, and absolutely rip the creativityI'm going to try reviewing this without talking about the disgrace to gaming known as "EA"... But what the hell, EA deliver minimal gaming to the public, expecting them to survive on a half-done game, and deliver their wallets for the next 5000 DLC's. I cannot understand why EA take companies such as Bioware, who have been immensely successful in the past, and absolutely rip the creativity from them. The ending is disgustingly inaccurate to the rest of the series (no surprise thanks to the 1 million writer changes), and gameplay seems to be a child's interpretation of the previous games, the graphics seem half done thanks to all the cartoony looks on humans, and the game in genral, ABSOLUTE FILTH. EA is the disgrace in gaming that likes to place it in the shower and choke it to death. The END.…Expand

I have played Mass Effect from the first one, It had a marvelous and original setting that no much rpg's could mach.Still aside from the story combat was creative but often frustrating. In second one story got a lot blander with all that Cerberus nonsense but at least combat was better and game more refined.
But third one is just terrible, the new writer who overtook the scene is awful,I have played Mass Effect from the first one, It had a marvelous and original setting that no much rpg's could mach.Still aside from the story combat was creative but often frustrating. In second one story got a lot blander with all that Cerberus nonsense but at least combat was better and game more refined.
But third one is just terrible, the new writer who overtook the scene is awful, knowing nothing of previous games, overall game quality is bad, an ugly copy-paste ripped from previous games, low-res textures, logic errors in quests, unasked multiplayer component in a singleplayer game, day-1 DLC, broken promises, brought out reviews, defiling of the scene with "human master race" storyline.

Worst game I ever brought truly shocked and angered beyond reason for destruction of my favorite trilogy, whoever in EA is responsible for this atrocity should be hanged for his crimes against the fanbase, I now need some strong alcohol to forget what I saw. oh poor Tali what have they done to you.(sob) :(…Expand

Its sad to watch something with a great beginning slowly turn into one of the most disappointing experiences. The Mass Effect series went from a great RPG with great fluff in Mass 1 to a cliched cover based shooter with the **** ending in Mass 3.

After DA2 Bioware succeded in completely destroy another franchise, after the first 2 ME games this one is really a let down; with and ending cutted and pasted from deux ex macchina and defended by bioware as an artistic choice,artistic my ass is a scam.
Your past decisions doesnt affect the end of the game, you cant have an happy ending.
All the game is more or less like this:
enter aAfter DA2 Bioware succeded in completely destroy another franchise, after the first 2 ME games this one is really a let down; with and ending cutted and pasted from deux ex macchina and defended by bioware as an artistic choice,artistic my ass is a scam.
Your past decisions doesnt affect the end of the game, you cant have an happy ending.
All the game is more or less like this:
enter a room kill the 3/5 enemies waves, go to next room...i so miss old bioware…Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
There are four endings now (post extended cut)

Red ((destroy)): Destroy all synthetics indiscriminately, including the reapers. This means bye-bye Edi, Geth, plus a lot of tech that organic races are dependent on. (This is pegged "the bad ending" by many.)

Blue ((control)): Control the reapers, keeping them and their husks alive and turning shepard into the new Harbinger. Bad idea on so many levels.

Green ((synthesis)): "Become one with the reapers". Like control, this keeps all the horribly deformed husks alive (cannibals, marauders, banshees, scions which are 3 headed abominations fused from 3 different ppl from 3 different races, harvesters, destroyers, etc.)Turning every sentient race, organic and AI alike, into a organic/synthetic hybrid, which is the final stage of evolution, according to the translucent star child. This is pegged "the best ending" by bioware and fans that support synthesis.

4th ending ((refuse)): You shoot the star child, give a little speech and watch as everyone dies. Then you see one of the beacons Liara made for the next civilizations to find and stop the reapers their way.

Just awful.

I've played Mass Effect 1 & 2 multiple times over the years. but ME3, I've only played twice and have since uninstalled. My friend also got the game on release, and now regrets it. She wanted me to play co-op with her, but why? The multiplayer looks like mindless and repetitive and like it would get boring after two rounds.

Major letdown. I'm scared for dragon age 3, there's a 90% chance that will be a letdown aswell.…Expand

Great game. Ending was meh. It definitely improved with the free dlc, but the ending still wasn't great. Other than that though, a simply legendary game worthy of your money. Seriously go buy it. Be sure to play the whole series in order though

4.8 as a user score just because the ending was disappointing. I can't believe people are saying the last 10 minutes ruined the entire game for them. I wonder what the user score would be if this game had a good ending. I'm glad Bioware released the Extended Cut; if they didn't my score would be a bit lower. This was a stellar sequel and all the ones and twos out of 10 are just immature.4.8 as a user score just because the ending was disappointing. I can't believe people are saying the last 10 minutes ruined the entire game for them. I wonder what the user score would be if this game had a good ending. I'm glad Bioware released the Extended Cut; if they didn't my score would be a bit lower. This was a stellar sequel and all the ones and twos out of 10 are just immature. As a long time gamer I'm used to disappointing endings; its a common weakness in video game storytelling. Nevertheless an amazing title on Bioware's part, it still gave us a stellar story and characters. So they incorporated more action and gameplay elements? Get over it. Video games aren't supposed to be interactive movies.…Expand

I played this game for about an hour, walked back into town and traded it straight back in. Being new to the franchise I instantly disliked the clunky-ness of the gameplay and controls. Not as many choices and too many cut-scenes for me to get into the game.

I highly regret this full price preorder this is one of the few times I have ever pre purchased a videogame believing it a solid bet. I played and completed both ME1 & 2 but something about this title really offended me as PC gamer. The plastic and lifeless visuals coupled with a bland 'illusion of choice' script leaves the characters feeling unrealistic and the locations static. Maybe II highly regret this full price preorder this is one of the few times I have ever pre purchased a videogame believing it a solid bet. I played and completed both ME1 & 2 but something about this title really offended me as PC gamer. The plastic and lifeless visuals coupled with a bland 'illusion of choice' script leaves the characters feeling unrealistic and the locations static. Maybe I have just been spoiled by recent gaming highs (TLOU, GTAV, BF4) but where is the quality this time? Where are 2012 level AAA character animations, voice emotion and smart dialogue. Makes me think then why bother releasing this rubbish? Looks like the space RPG genre still has room on the shelf.
Highly regret this purchase.…Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
this game is one of the worst games i've ever played
it completely destroyed what ME stood for

Gameplay
The gameplay is a TPS Gears of war clone,forcing you on action sequenceshorde mode to finish the levels
all you have to do is point and shoot,point and shoot
ME2 removed many RPG elements from the original ME1,but this game,this abomination,it destroyed it completely
for example,in ME2 you could chat with squadmates and they could tell you random things that would get you in a long and interesting conversation with various investigate options,here is different,you get a 1 minute long conversation at best,and the autodialogue takes 90% of your conversation away,and after that said conversation after 1 main mission,you think you can talk with them some more?
NO,they greet you randomly with 'hey' 'hi' 'hi shepard' like Zaeed in ME2 did..that pissed me off so badly
i hated the Zaeed system in ME2,that's why i never spoke with him at all in ME2
The interactivity is reduced to none on the ship,you don't have a reason to check out the other parts of the ship
The dialogue wheel is reduced to 2 options,and doesn't appear so often,since Shepard talks on his own for 30 minutes before you can do something,and that something is another shooter section
they force you to do shooting sections over and over,long shooting galleries
i remember in ME1-2 there were missions where you didn't even have to use weapons
exploration has been dumbed down to a pacman like game
you scan the solar systems with a circle like transmission that detects items on nearby planets and attracks the reapers,if they reach you there's no space battle or something cool,it's game over
so retarded
side quests are ridicolous,you overhear people talking about a random object lost in the reaper conquered space and you automatically have the quest,you have to do the annoying search minigame with 3 loading screens and then give it to them for 10.000 credits and sometimes a war asset
N7 missions are like 5-6 of them,and are ripped straight from the multiplayer
The Story

the story is bad,but the kind of bad that would make you facepalm for the entire game
Shepard is warped from the Normandy (ME2 ending) to Earth,and 6 months have passed.
WTF? what shepard said to the illusive man in the ME2 ending?
'the reapers are still out there,and i'm gonna stop them without sacrificing our species' soul'
yeah,one that does want to stop the reapers goes to Earth to be jailed.
spectre authority?Doesn't matter
all you did before doesn't matter,at all:
you could do whatever you want and all you get is a slightly different line of dialogue instead of another
the rachni for example,a critical choice in ME1
is completely invalidated,the rachni are there,regardless of what you have chosen
WHY GIVE US THE CHOICE AT ALL?
all it changes it's a number
that's all it changes in ME3
EMS,when in ME2 we had flags that determinated who died or who survived here is a number that,you've guessed it,doesn't matter,it just determinates if the space magic device is intact or not
each story arch is forced and boring
screwing over lore whatever they could
like the Geth and the Quarians
there are many other story **** that you can imagine

Action or RPG 'mode'
What the hell is this?
is some kind of pandering to COD?
stop this **** so tired of it
from the description
RPG mode would give you total control over what your character says
Action mode all dialogue becomes autodialogue,renegade options
but it's not like this,at least not in the 'RPG' mode
Autodialogue sucks out 90% of what you say and what you do
Shepard becomes a retard approving all they say to him without being able to ask questions
Tali's Face
....,bioware,why did you **** it up?
why do a Photoshopped image,A BAD PHOTOSHOPPED image
FOR A CHARACTER THAT WE WERE WAITING 5 YEARS TO SEE?
you heard right,they didn't even bother to give her a 3d model,it's all hidden like in ME2,only that photoshopped image pisses me off.
especially when i know that a certain Mary Sue (Liara)is given a lot more focus
this game has made me hate her
I hate Mac Walters and Casey Hudson too.
Including the multiplayer
Why the hell did you include multiplayer?
it's stupid,cheap and idiotic
it's just a overglorified Horde mode from GOW with different playable characters
of course,then there's the infamous ending
it's the worst ending of all time,i cannot express how much hatred i've got for it,and how much i've got it for the game now
so much potential,wasted
Advice
Stay the hell away from this piece of crap…Expand

Overall a good game, but not a worthy conclusion of this epic trilogy. The ending was bad. I'm not talking about the fact, that there was "no happy-ending". I have no problem with it. The ending was poorly explained and the explanation we got from"god-child" was bad. Furthermore there is some serious bad writing in the game. Cerberus, the Illusive Man and Kai Leng for example. On the otherOverall a good game, but not a worthy conclusion of this epic trilogy. The ending was bad. I'm not talking about the fact, that there was "no happy-ending". I have no problem with it. The ending was poorly explained and the explanation we got from"god-child" was bad. Furthermore there is some serious bad writing in the game. Cerberus, the Illusive Man and Kai Leng for example. On the other hand there are some amazing storyquests like Tutchanka. Graphics looks good. Characters are interesting. Quests overall are (except for some of the side/miniquests) also interesting. Music is great.
Overall, a decent game but worse than the previous two.…Expand

Cover system isn't nearly as bad as ME1 but worse then ME2. Jennifer Hale voice acting is brilliant. Visually ME2 beats ME3. My imported Shepard looked like almost completely different person. In the end all those choices you made over 120 hours of gameplay (3 games) don't really matter. It all boils down to the decision you make in last 15 minutes of the game and no matter what you do, itCover system isn't nearly as bad as ME1 but worse then ME2. Jennifer Hale voice acting is brilliant. Visually ME2 beats ME3. My imported Shepard looked like almost completely different person. In the end all those choices you made over 120 hours of gameplay (3 games) don't really matter. It all boils down to the decision you make in last 15 minutes of the game and no matter what you do, it leaves a lot of unanswered questions about what happens to Shepard friends and brothers-in-arms. Bleh.…Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view.
I'll try to be objectivePositive moments of the game:- Cool story. I played ME from part 1 just because of storyline- They finaly showed Tali's face :D- Epic soundtrack- - Graphics are good enough

Negative moments of the game:- Day 1 DLC- BOOOORIIIING gameplay. There's and opinion that gameplay was made for CoD fanboys.- Role-play system - epic fail. Actually, it failed in ME 2. ME 1 had good one.- Gathering of war assets is so dull. Scan=>Gather=> FLEE FROM REAPERS (Repeat this over 9000 times)- The main hope of trillions of people, veteran soldier, the Savior of Galaxy can be a gay and sleep with his own shuttle's pilot. THIS IS RIDICULOUS!- And of course it's MOTHER****ING ENDING. All your choices in previous parts are TOTALLY USELESS. I guided Shepard through all of ME like my own son or friend just to watch him dying? All technologies was wiped out with destruction of Mass Relays?? Normandy crashed in the middle of **** nowhere??? This is **** I will never fogive BioWare. God, let them make DLC with normal ending

Good combat and fresh characters are sadly ruined by the lack of meaning for long term fans. Major decisions from the first two games are made so meaningless they are expressed with single dialogues and some (rachni and Councillor) are completely ignored and explained with an unsatisfactory explanation. Possibly a good standalone game but fans of the Mass Effect series can only be leftGood combat and fresh characters are sadly ruined by the lack of meaning for long term fans. Major decisions from the first two games are made so meaningless they are expressed with single dialogues and some (rachni and Councillor) are completely ignored and explained with an unsatisfactory explanation. Possibly a good standalone game but fans of the Mass Effect series can only be left feeling disappointed and wanting more.…Collapse

BioWare captures the scale of the conflict well, but always focuses on the people involved in it. It's pretty amazing just how badly EA disregarded the heart of the game – the characters and the world – when they began their marking blitzkrieg, but don't worry, it's oh so definitely there – Day 1 DLC, controversial endings, and questionable use of resources be damned. This is a fine, lovingly crafted game with a clear vision despite the realities of corporations and damning business practices.

Finishing a trilogy is always difficult. Tying off dozens of story
threads which had been woven by players into many different tapestries
is a daunting task. Mass Effect 3 is the first game that succeeded at
this colossal undertaking.